Midwestern born and bred, southern friend and fed

Tag: Journal

I jammed my finger killing a spider yesterday. It’s all puffy and bruised. I haven’t done that since I played basketball in middle school. Oy.

My friend Kristen and I booked a room on the Golden Girls Cruise for next year! I can’t believe in just 368 days we’ll be setting sail from Miami in our finest silk nightgowns.

I finally bit the bullet and put Edgar on anti-anxiety medication. Of course, the day after I did that he wound up in the emergency vet on an un-related issue. He’s just gotta be difficult. (And is doing just fine now, thankfully.)

Podcast things: MFM will never get old. FTCF (if you know, you know). The PenPals read my letter a few episodes ago! Go listen! It’s under the title “Midwestern Grandma.” And Jason Mantzoukas may be my very favorite guest on any show I listen to.

Carhartt makes leggings now! Mine should be arriving today and I cannot wait to try them on!

Are these not the CUTEST ornaments ever?! Gladly made room on the tree for big-headed Hermione and Harry after Seth’s mom gave them to us.

BRB, getting on the next flight to California to make all my dreams come true! Think they’ll have an endless supply of coffee available?

We’re FINALLY watching Elf tomorrow! For years and years, I refused to watch that movie thinking it was total nonsense. When I finally did I fell head over heels for it and have to watch it every single year. (I can only hope to embody the positivity of Buddy during the holiday season – and beyond!)

The Fawn Moscato episodes of New Girl are truly some of the best.

Even though Seth and I spent the better part of 6 hours in a major shopping city on Sunday, I didn’t do most of my Christmas shopping until Monday. Online. I’m the worst.

New podcast alert! (Well, new to me.) Pen Pals with Daniel & Rory. Two comedians (one of which has a hilarious Netflix special) read letters of all kinds from listeners and just talk about it. Kind of in the vein of Dear Hank & John, but less soccer talk.

EyeBuyDirect is having a major sale right now – you can open a virtual gift box and get anywhere from 20% off to BOGO and anyway that’s how I ended up buying four new pairs of glasses…

I want to make use of my Christmas gift from last year and prepare some fresh pasta ASAP.

The Holiday Edition of GBBS is just divine! Oh how I’ve missed those accents.

The newest episode of Unqualified with Anna Faris features Sophia Bush and I’m all about it. I’d always loved her in One Tree Hill (umm, hello my high school years!) but hearing her (with that raspy voice!) speak as a grown woman was really inspiring.

My dad coughed himself into a hernia last week, so Edgar and I spent last Thursday helping him instead of posting Thursday Things. He’ll be ok, he’s on the mend already and was even sneaking Edgar bites of crackers before we left.

We’ve got less than three weeks until Christmas and I. Am. Panicking. And 99% sure Cookie Week won’t be happening this year. I’m sorry. But, I’ve no doubt you’ll survive. I’m focusing on making cookie trays and delivering them out to friends and family. I implore you to do the same. And you can always check out my backlog of cookie recipes HERE!

I got a new oven last week! And a new dryer may be next on the list because it took me three hours to dry one load…that I’m just now realizing I forgot to fold. (It’s quite something to witness another’s descent into madness via a rambling blog post, isn’t it?)

At least there’s snow on the ground so I feel some kind of solace in my current state. And Edgar has been having the absolute best time playing with his friends in the fresh powder at the dog park. Which is a vast improvement from last year’s refusing to walk in the snow.

Julie & Julia is on Netflix now! So even though I own a copy of it, I immediately watched it on my laptop the other day in the kitchen. Because that makes sense.

Time has been moving so oddly since we returned from vacation. It moves slowly one day and then is sped up the next. Like jetlag? But not? Seth is experiencing it too!

Deer season opens tomorrow so you know what that means – venison stew for everyone! I’ve got some in the oven right now that should be out and photographed and up within the next week or so. Stay tuned!

This weekend, Edgar and I are going to another doggo’s birthday party and I’ll be making her a batch of pupcakes to celebrate!

The amount of hugs I have given and received this week is unreal. So many good squeezes from so many good people.

Seth and I are getting massages today! He’s never had one and I haven’t had one in nearly a year. Truly treating ourselves on this trip.

My cousin Elizabeth was kind enough to take some simple engagement photos for us to use on our save the dates and invites. We dressed up and walked around a lake and I only started bawling once because I just love Seth so much.

Also, if you like goat soap check out her shop! She’s a scent wizard! And very good goat herdress.

I’ll be making a variation of my pecan pie for my aunt tomorrow. Instead of a regular pie plate, I throw the mix in a rectangular baking pan. It produces a thinner, chewier bar that’s so easy to snack on. It’s her favorite thing I bake and the family deserves a treat after letting us crash all week.

Bunny got me to eat chili last night. And it was delicious! Because there weren’t any beans in it.

It was the fifteenth anniversary of Elf earlier this week. Can’t believe I’ve been enjoying the antics of Buddy for over half my life. ‘Tis (about to be) the season!

Is this not the most gorgeous floor you’ve ever seen?! Natural hickory – so soft and smooth and downright delightful. Even if it did take 8.5 hours to install ½ of it. But! We’re almost done!

I’ve made the vision board, I’m signing up for free classes/tutorials, I’m saying my mantras. Let’s do the damn thing.

This may sound crazy (ok, it does sound crazy), but doesn’t coffee taste different in different mugs? I have my favorite that I think make my cups of java taste the best and some that taste blah. You know?

Spyro is being rereleased! This is the only video game I ever spent a decent amount of time playing. My sisters and I would sit in our shared room on our bunkbeds and take turns flying that little purple dragon around. Oh, the memories!

Edgar will be Yoda for Halloween this year, but I’ll be damned if he’s not going to be Spyro next year! The resemblance is uncanny.

Pinterest is really and truly boggling my mind. There aren’t blanket categories to look under anymore and if you search one item that’s all you see in your feed for the next three weeks and why do they have to constantly change things that are perfectly ok. I miss the original version. Oy.

Arriving to the party hella late but Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is my new favorite Netflix show! I’ve only watched “Fat” and part of “Salt” but I’m in awe, jaw on the floor the entire time. Truly magical, y’all.